All About Us
by Kirk Baldridge
Summary: Al is in hiding and Rachel finally gets an answer to one of her questions.
1. Chapter 1

NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: 

TITLE: All About Us

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, names, places, etc. They all belong to Kim Harrison, and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for creating them.

FANDOM: The Hollows

PAIRING: Rachel/Ivy

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Al is in hiding, while Rachel finally gets the answer to one of her questions.

SPOILER: Sequel to _You Don't Always Get What You Want_ and _Sometimes You Get What You Need. _It is set an undetermined amount of time after_Black Magic Sanction_. You need to read at least _Sometimes_ first, because I'm not going to give too many explanations, so if you haven't read the story before this you probably aren't going to understand everything that's happening here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of clarification, _My Immortal_ and its sequel, _Through Her Eyes_, are a separate timeline from my other four Hollows stories, which-if you wanted to read them all-belong in the following order: _You Don't Always Get What You Want_, _Love and Vampires_, _Disturbing_, and _Sometimes You Get What You Need_.

Rachel Morgan ducked under the fist that had been coming straight at her head.

"Is that the best you can do?"

She twisted her lower body and swung her legs around in one fluid movement, intending to sweep kick out her attacker's feet, but the living vampire reacted by simply leaping straight up in the air.

"Oh come on!"

The witch's red spandex bodysuit was soaked with sweat, and she was breathing more heavily than she liked.

"You're not even trying."

Across from her, Ivy Tamwood smirked. Her black bodysuit was bone dry, and her breathing steady.

"Were I really trying, dear heart, you would already be dead."

Rachel knew Ivy was right. On a purely physical level, she could never compete with the average living vampire. Her martial arts training might allow her to outmaneuver an unskilled one like Skimmer, but even she was capable of moving faster than the eye could follow and punching like a truck. This was exercise for Rachel, and a distraction for Ivy.

"Maybe. You realize, of course, things would be very different if I could do this my way."

Ivy arched an eyebrow. "Is that a fact?" She crossed her arms. "Okay. Show me."

"All right." Rachel threw a rather clumsily obvious left that she knew Ivy could block in her sleep, shifting her weight at the last possible moment to bring up her right leg for a kick to the midsection. It didn't surprise her at all when Ivy ignored her arm completely and instead brought her own hands down to deflect her foot. She smiled. This put the vampire slightly off balance. Drawing on the ley line energy she held spindled within her, she unleashed an invisible blow that knocked Ivy backward.

Hitting the wall hard enough to knock the breath out of anyone else, the vampire grunted. "Ouch." She would have just as quickly counterattacked, but was surprised to find she could not move. Her warm brown eyes, ringed with black, widened slightly. "What are you doing?" She felt the left strap of her spandex suit slide down her shoulder. "Rachel?"

"I told you." Rachel smirked as she did the same with Ivy's right shoulder strap. "My way."

Ivy's breath quickened as her breasts were exposed. "My wicked witch. You do know how to torment me."

"Just wait." Rachel licked her lips. "You haven't seen anything yet."


	2. Chapter 2

NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: 

TITLE: All About Us

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, names, places, etc. They all belong to Kim Harrison, and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for creating them.

FANDOM: The Hollows

PAIRING: Rachel/Ivy

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Al is in hiding, while Rachel finally gets the answer to one of her questions.

SPOILER: Sequel to _You Don't Always Get What You Want_ and _Sometimes You Get What You Need. _It is set an undetermined amount of time after_Black Magic Sanction_. You need to read at least _Sometimes_ first, because I'm not going to give too many explanations, so if you haven't read the story before this you probably aren't going to understand everything that's happening here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of clarification, _My Immortal_ and its sequel, _Through Her Eyes_, are a separate timeline from my other four Hollows stories, which-if you wanted to read them all-belong in the following order: _You Don't Always Get What You Want_, _Love and Vampires_, _Disturbing_, and _Sometimes You Get What You Need_.

Jenks and his brood had gone to the garden when they saw Rachel and Ivy come out of their room in their workout clothes, because he knew full well that what started as exercise between them never ended up that way. Most of the kids were split into groups and playing various games, while Jax and several of the eldest scouted the perimeter.

"Dad!"

The pixie took flight, joining his son Jo, who was standing on a high branch. "What is it?"

"Who's that?"

Jenks followed his son's pointing finger over the garden wall toward the sidewalk outside, where they could see a tall female. Human, witch or Were, there was no way to be sure from this distance. She had long blond hair, was wearing blue jeans that appeared to be painted on and a tiny blue top clearly designed to display impressive cleavage.

"I don't know."

Jo cocked his head. "Her aura looks really weird."

"You're right." Humans typically had a somewhat dull, single color aura; with those who did magic it was brighter and would have dark, or light, streaks depending on what sort of magic they performed. Witches tended to have gold auras, with similar streaking, while in Weres it was more often than not a variation of red. Jenks blinked. This woman's aura was churning like water, black and gold flowing together. "Tinks' a Disney whore! I've seen that before, but where?"

"What's she staring at, Dad?"

Jenks shook his head. As far as he knew, the only thing the woman could see from where she was standing was the wall. "Go check on your brothers and sisters." He drew his sword and dove out of the tree. "Hey, you!" She jerked her head up and around. The pixie hit an invisible wall and plummeted to the ground, shivering violently. He had never felt so cold in all his life.

"I'm telling you, it was magic."

Jenks was sitting on the island counter, with a toothpick that had been dipped in honey.

"Not like what you do though, Rache. This was hard. Unfocused. Like being hit with a sledgehammer."

Rachel bit her lip. "And you said her aura looked familiar?"

"Yeah. Damned if I know from where though."

Ivy shook her head. "Why the hell would she be staring at the wall?"

"I doubt she was," said Rachel. "If she was a witch, or even a skilled human, she could use her second sight to look through it. It's a perfect way to spy on the church. Who'd think to look for her out there?"

"Me, from now on," Jenks replied. "Tinks titties, Rache! Who's after you this time?"

Rachel glowered. "What makes you think it's my fault?"

"Because everyone likes me, and all of Ivy's enemies are dead," said Jenks. "You think it's the coven?"

"Maybe, but I haven't heard anything from them since they removed my shunning."

Ivy shrugged. "That doesn't mean they're not still watching you."

"Even if they are, it's not like I can call them up and ask." Rachel grabbed a piece of toast and began buttering it. "If this girl turns out to be a threat we'll deal with it. Can we please talk about something else?"

Jenks nodded. "How long has it been?" He frowned when Ivy and Rachel both looked at him funny. "Since you last had a sighting? You know, of the creatures we don't name to keep any of them from showing up?"

"Oh. That. Almost two weeks new." Rachel put her hand on Ivy's and squeezed it, sighing as her vampire smiled. "Two glorious weeks. I suppose I should decide what I want to do about the ever after."

Ivy arched an eyebrow. "What's to decide? You're never going back there, remember?"

"I can't just ignore it. Ivy, do you have any idea what kind of resources A…" Rachel stopped herself. They really had agreed to avoid saying any of the demons names. "…he had? Books, scrolls, ancient, undecipherable manuscripts, answers to the greatest mysteries are probably sitting around the library, just waiting to be found." She looked Ivy in the eye. "Haven't you ever wondered where you come from? The vampires, I mean. No living being on this side of the lines, that I know of at least, is old enough to know the truth. The demons, though, are thousands of years old. Even if none of them personally know, it may be written down somewhere. I always wanted to look, but you know who would never let me. He had an agenda. I'm my own boss now. If I can trace your origins, I'll be in a better position to possible work out a way to save your soul when you die. You still want that, don't you?"

Ivy nodded. "Of course." She wasn't afraid of death. Losing her soul, her inner self, and her ability to understand why she loved Rachel Morgan so desperately it hurt, however, terrified her. "You really think they know?"

"Maybe not. But I've just about exhausted all the resources I can find here." Rachel shrugged. "It's worth a try."

The room was silent for a few moments. Ivy shrugged. "If you're really going, I'm coming with you."

"You can't. You have to meet your sister for lunch, remember?" Erica had called the day before. She was looking at colleges and wanted her sister's advice. "It'll be okay, Ivy. I know how to lock his rooms, so no other demons can come in uninvited. Most of them don't know or care about me anyway. Call me when you're done and I'll come back."

Ivy gnashed her teeth. Rachel was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, even alone in the ever after, but she couldn't help worrying because every time they got involved with demons bad things happened. "Fine."

Jenks looked from one to the other and chuckled. "Tinks' diaphragm! You two sound like an old married couple."

"That could be the nicest thing you've ever said to us." Rachel leaned over the counter and kissed her vampire. "I'm going to take a shower." She held on to Ivy's hand. "You want to come with me?"

Ivy's eyes flashed back.


	3. Chapter 3

NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: 

TITLE: All About Us

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, names, places, etc. They all belong to Kim Harrison, and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for creating them.

FANDOM: The Hollows

PAIRING: Rachel/Ivy

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Al is in hiding, while Rachel finally gets the answer to one of her questions.

SPOILER: Sequel to _You Don't Always Get What You Want_ and _Sometimes You Get What You Need. _It is set an undetermined amount of time after_Black Magic Sanction_. You need to read at least _Sometimes_ first, because I'm not going to give too many explanations, so if you haven't read the story before this you probably aren't going to understand everything that's happening here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of clarification, _My Immortal_ and its sequel, _Through Her Eyes_, are a separate timeline from my other four Hollows stories, which-if you wanted to read them all-belong in the following order: _You Don't Always Get What You Want_, _Love and Vampires_, _Disturbing_, and _Sometimes You Get What You Need_.

Nick Sparagmos sipped his coffee and went back to reading the want ads.

He had been fired from the strip club, and couldn't seem to find anyone else willing to hire him. He was pretty sure Kalamack had something to do with that. The city councilman and would-be mayor was a particularly vindictive sort, and ever since their plans against Rachel were thrown back in their faces, he was looking for someone to blame.

Now he had no place to live—the apartment had come with the job—and very little money left. If he couldn't find anything else soon he was going to have to something else to steal. The problem was that usually took him several days to plan, and most of his usual sources had dried up or were in hiding. Again, most likely, thanks to Kalamack.

"Damn it!" Someone sat down in the chair opposite Nick, who tensed. It was an unfamiliar but attractive young blond woman, wearing a pair of oversized black sunglasses. "Who the hell are you?"

"Elizabeth Thornton."

Still on-edge, Nick gritted his teeth as he looked the woman over. Something wasn't right about her. He doubted she was much of a direct threat though. If Kalamack or one of his other enemies decided to have him killed, he would probably never see his assassins face; they certainly wouldn't sit down and introduce themselves like this. "What do you want?"

"To hire you, Mr. Sparagmos."

Nick got interested quickly. "Is that a fact?" Before getting involved with Rachel, which had all but ruined his reputation, he had been fairly successful in developing a name for himself. No one approached a thief this brazenly unless they were setting him up, or desperate, and he was pretty sure he could use either one to his advantage. "To do what?"

The woman chuckled. "A matter best kept away from prying eyes and ears. You are familiar with magic, are you not?" After a moment, he nodded. "Then this should not come as too much of a surprise." An opaque bubble of ever after enveloped them and their table. Several people in the restaurant glanced their way but just as quickly returned to what they were doing.

"You didn't place a circle," Nick hissed. "What kind of a witch are you?"

Shaking her head, the woman reached into her jacket pocket and drew out an ornate golden disc the size of a small dinner plate. "How good are you at translations?" She slid it across the table to him.

Both curious and wary, Nick took the disc. "It depends on the language." It felt magical but seemed to be dormant. It seemed too big to be a charm, and he sensed no danger from it. "What is this?"

"According to my sources, the key to a magnificent treasure. The problem is, I haven't been able to translate it, but I am led to believe you can." Elizabeth leaned forward. "If you help me, I can promise you a share."

Nick examined it. "I think it's…yes, a Latin derivative of one of the older Witch dialects." It took him a minute to sound it out. "Everto ego sino vos. Usus is somes." His eyes widened. "Wait. Everto means demon." He lurched to his feet and back away, running into the circle as Elizabeth took off her sunglasses and sat them on the table. "Oh God. What did I do?"

"Thank you, Nicholas Gregory Sparagmos." Elizabeth lurched forward and vomited forth a thick black mass that violently forced its way into Nick's mouth, nose, ears, and eyes. He shuddered for a few moments, and then opened his eyes, which were momentarily red. He picked up the sunglasses and put them on. "I was growing tired of that soft, weak little body."

Suddenly herself again, the woman looked around, trembling. "Where am I?" She began to cry. "What's going on?"

"Elizabeth Denise Thornton, I should thank you as well." Algaliarept, now safely ensconced in Nick's body, grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a kiss. "It was fun while it lasted." He shoved her back into the circle, which collapsed and deliberately brought the heel of his boot down, crushing her neck. Someone screamed. Ignoring the terrified humans around him the demon adjusted the collar of his leather duster and stepped over her prone form, whistling as he strode out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: 

TITLE: All About Us

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, names, places, etc. They all belong to Kim Harrison, and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for creating them.

FANDOM: The Hollows

PAIRING: Rachel/Ivy

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Al is in hiding, while Rachel finally gets the answer to one of her questions.

SPOILER: Sequel to _You Don't Always Get What You Want_ and _Sometimes You Get What You Need. _It is set an undetermined amount of time after_Black Magic Sanction_. You need to read at least _Sometimes_ first, because I'm not going to give too many explanations, so if you haven't read the story before this you probably aren't going to understand everything that's happening here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of clarification, _My Immortal_ and its sequel, _Through Her Eyes_, are a separate timeline from my other four Hollows stories, which-if you wanted to read them all-belong in the following order: _You Don't Always Get What You Want_, _Love and Vampires_, _Disturbing_, and _Sometimes You Get What You Need_.

Rachel materialized in Al's kitchen and took a slow, deep breath.

As she opened her eyes, she found herself silently thanking Newt, which still boggled her mind. When she had been stuck in the ever after some time ago it was Newt who told her to concentrate on Ivy in order to send her home, and later, after becoming her teacher, reinforced the same lesson once she started crossing the lines on her own.

"I guess she does know a thing or two."

Rachel paused as she glanced where she and Ivy had found what was left of Tom Bansen's body. If Newt was to be believed Al had torn it apart, killing Pierce, because he told Newt what Al was doing. She had come back to the ever after just once since then, to gather his remains and bury them in the church graveyard. She just hoped that Pierce's spirit had finally been able to move on, and wasn't stuck in purgatory again, but unless he found a way to communicate she would never know.

"First thing's first."

Rachel mentally reached out, feeling for the lines in and around Al's home. Al had told her once that he could seal them if he so desired, and Dali reminded her of it, so before leaving with Tom's remains she had twisted the lines into a knot so no else could get in without her permission. She did the same now. If any demon wanted in they would have to 'knock', and if anyone tried to sneak or force their way in she would know it, regardless of where she was or what she was doing.

"Time to go to work."

Al's library was quite extensive and impressive. The demon insisted it was only a portion of his real collection, which he was still in the process of reclaiming, and Rachel was unsure if he was serious or just bragging. He had no bookshelves, being less important to him than the books themselves, so the books were scattered everywhere. Unfortunately, since there were more books here than she had in her entire church, and since the demon seemed to forgo any concept of organization or structure in this one room, locating a particular scroll or text was a time consuming effort. During one of her lessons, he had sent her here to find a certain spell and she spent nearly the entire time searching for it, meaning she conveniently couldn't do anything with it until next time.

"God, look at all this." Rachel shook her head. Since there was no immediate hurry, hopefully she and Ivy would have many years together before she had to worry about saving her lover's soul, the witch decided to only spend a couple of hours sorting and then go home. The next time she came, she would focus more on research. Bending down to pick up a book lying by her feet, she nearly lost her footing as she felt a sudden pressure in the back of her mind. "What the hell?" It happened several more times in rapid succession, accompanied by ever worsening surges of pain. Eventually, it was too much for her and she passed out.

Coming to on the warm stone floor, Rachel opened her eyes to find a pair of bare feet inches from her face. She blinked. '_Crap on toast! I should have known._' Dizzy, she slowly raised her head, up the familiar blood red robe with black trim to the wide-rimmed red hat on top of a bald skull. Wide, solid black eyes stared down at her. "Hi Newt."

The demon cocked her head. "Rachel Mariana Morgan." She blinked. "You are not Algaliarept."

"You think?" Rachel lurched back to her feet. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I have been searching all over the ever after for Algaliarept, but so far he has eluded me. I sensed a presence in his rooms and thought perhaps he had slipped by me. When I found the lines blocked I assumed it was him trying to keep me out. You must have a great deal of power to resist me for as long as you did. Had I realized it was you I would not have used so much force." Newt reached for Rachel, frowning when the witch jerked away. "I did not mean to hurt you. I am only trying to help."

Rachel knew she couldn't really stop the demon if she wanted to do her harm. Besides, she seemed genuinely remorseful, and she was pretty sure Newt wasn't that good an actor. Wincing with the ache it caused, she nodded. "Okay."

"Close your eyes." As Rachel did so, Newt cupped the witch's cheek. She whispered something that sounded an awful lot like what witches said to invoke a pain amulet. Her headache faded. "There. All better."

It was amazing. Not only was the throbbing in her skull gone, Rachel felt oddly energized. Her skin was tingling. If these sensations lasted until she got home, she and Ivy were going to have quite a night. Shaking her head to shake off the growing heat in her core, she cleared her throat and turned back to Newt. "So…no luck finding Al huh?" The demon huffed and stuck out her lower lip. It was almost endearing enough to make her forget the creature before her was a force of nature and not a woman.

Newt shook her head. "I have searched everywhere." She crossed her arms and began to pace. "Algaliarept has always been quite skilled at hiding, but I am beginning to think he is no longer in the ever after at all."

"What, you're saying he's hiding on earth?" Rachel frowned. "How? He has to be summoned, right?"

"Algaliarept has crossed the lines more often than most other demons. You know this. He was repeatedly summoned and released by your enemies, and for a time he was in the body of Stanley Saladan. It would be a simple enough for him to have arranged such a summoning. Even he could not remain once the sun has risen, however, unless…"

"…he's possessed someone?" Rachel rolled her eyes. "Wonderful. So how do we find him?"

Newt shrugged. "Wherever he is, Algaliarept is no doubt planning something, likely involving you or yours. So long as he is in someone else's body, he will be difficult to track, but he will also be cut off from a great deal of his power. In order to do some of his more potent magic he would have to evacuate his host. I know Algaliarept's energy. If he reverts to his true form or extends enough, I can sense it even from the ever after. Otherwise, you will have to be on the lookout. Call me, and I will find you."

'_I really don't want to be in a situation where my best option is to call Newt._' Rachel nodded. "Fine." Truth be told, she didn't relish the idea of spending the rest of her life wondering if everyone she met was Al in disguise. '_Damn it to the Turn!_ _Is this really what my life has come to?_' Something else occurred to her. "Newt? You wouldn't happen to know anything about Al's library would you? I'm trying to find information on a particular subject but I don't have any idea where to start."

Newt nodded. "I'm not surprised. He may be an obnoxious and intolerant ass, but Algaliarept is clever. The more organized his library the easier it would be for someone to find something and take it from him."

"Okay, but how does he find anything himself?"

"He binds each of his books to him as they come into his possession. He has only to think about one and it comes to his hand." Newt turned to her. "You were his student. Surely he sent you here to get things for him?"

"And it usually took me hours to find them." Newt nodded, and Rachel rolled her eyes. "I knew it. He was doing it on purpose, so he wouldn't have to teach me anything." She leaned forward and groaned. "Damn it."

Newt stepped closer and put a hand on the witch's shoulder. "There is nothing to be ashamed of, Rachel Mariana Morgan. Algaliarept has been perfecting his craft for over five millennia."

"If I can't use Al's stuff, maybe you can help me. You're as old as he is, right?"

"Older."

Rachel hesitated. The last time this subject had come up between her and Newt, the demon had been on a near rampage. She didn't want to see that again, but if even half of what she suspected about Newt was true, she had answers to all the questions she could ever ask, assuming she remembered them. "What do you know about the origins of vampires?"

"The elves."

"What about the elves?"

Newt's eyes grew wide, even more unfocused than usual. "They cursed them, to turn them against us, but they turned on everyone. The elves couldn't stop them. We couldn't stop them. We had to work together. Us! Together?"

"Couldn't stop who? I don't understand. Who else did the elves curse?"

"I can't remember!" Newt slapped the side of her head. "Why can't I remember?" She turned and vanished into shadows.

Rachel sighed. "Damn it."


	5. Chapter 5

NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: 

TITLE: All About Us

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, names, places, etc. They all belong to Kim Harrison, and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for creating them.

FANDOM: The Hollows

PAIRING: Rachel/Ivy

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Al is in hiding, while Rachel finally gets the answer to one of her questions.

SPOILER: Sequel to _You Don't Always Get What You Want_ and _Sometimes You Get What You Need. _It is set an undetermined amount of time after_Black Magic Sanction_. You need to read at least _Sometimes_ first, because I'm not going to give too many explanations, so if you haven't read the story before this you probably aren't going to understand everything that's happening here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of clarification, _My Immortal_ and its sequel, _Through Her Eyes_, are a separate timeline from my other four Hollows stories, which-if you wanted to read them all-belong in the following order: _You Don't Always Get What You Want_, _Love and Vampires_, _Disturbing_, and _Sometimes You Get What You Need_.

Jenks flew from window to window, peering out into the front and back yards of the church, where he would occasionally catch glimpses of Jax, Jo, and his eldest children. Ever since the strange woman attacked him many of them had asked to be allowed to patrol the grounds, and he saw no reason to deny them. Sooner or later they, like Jih and Jana, would leave to find their own gardens and start their own families, and this was good experience, but it didn't stop him from worrying. The youngest of his brood were in the living room, taking turns bouncing on the remote, and cursing whenever they happened to land on the Disney Channel.

The pixie was immediately on edge as he felt the air pressure shifting nearby. He rested a hand on his sword and readied a prearranged whistle that would signal his kids to make for the nearest pixie hole. He needn't have worried. It was only Rachel, who materialized in front of Ivy's piano. "Tinks' dildo! Can't you knock first or something?"

"Like that wouldn't scare you too?" Rachel asked. "Is Ivy back yet?"

Jenks scowled. "I wasn't scared. You startled me is all." He crossed his arms. "And no. She's still out with Erica."

"Did you get slapped around by any more strange women while I was gone?"

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

Rachel chuckled. "I doubt it. Not for a while, at least." She put a hand to her throat. "Damn, the ever after makes me thirsty."

Jenks followed her into the kitchen. "Ivy told me what you were looking for. Did you find anything?"

"Newt," Rachel replied, pouring herself a glass of milk. "She apparently felt me arrive and came to see me right after I got there. I tried asking her about the vampires and she told me the elves cursed someone besides the demons. Whoever it was apparently became such a threat to the rest of the ever after the elves and demons had to join forces to stop them."

"Tinks' diaphragm! Who do you think she was talking about?"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "Whoever it was, I'm not sure I want to know. The demons and elves have been enemies since before there was an ever after. Anything that could make them work together has got to be bad news." She sighed. "Damn it, Jenks. I'm no closer to helping Ivy than I was when I started. I promised I would save her soul, but I can't."

"You'll figure it out." Jenks landed on her shoulder. "You may not look it, and you damn sure don't always act like it, but you're pretty smart for a lunker, Rache. If there's a way, you'll find it, sooner or later."

"Gee, thanks." Rachel finished her milk and was washing out the glass when she heard a familiar engine outside. She went over to the coffee pot and turned it on as Ivy came into the kitchen. "How was lunch?"

Ivy swept her witch up into her arms and kissed her while Jenks, hovering over the island counter, turned nearly upside down and made gagging sounds. "Erica's trying to choose between CU, where her boyfriend is going, and a prestigious university in Europe, where Mom wants her to go. It's ridiculously expensive, but that's never been a problem."

"What do you think she's going to do?"

"Unlike me, Erica has a hard time arguing with our mother. Especially when she pulls an aura."

Rachel, who knew that better than most, nodded. Her confrontation with Ivy and Erica's undead mother had been one of the most disturbing and troubling of her life. "The Tamwoods are pretty loaded, right? Maybe she can pay her boyfriend's way, or have your Dad do it. Didn't you tell me Erica had him wrapped around her little finger?"

"She is daddy's little girl."

Jenks turned in midair and started toward the phone, just before it rang. He landed his full weight on the speakerphone button. "Vampiric Charms. This is Jenks speaking. How can we help you today?"

"Jenks, it's Glenn. Is Rachel around?"

Rachel stood up and approached the phone. "Right here, Glenn."

"Hi, red. I don't know if you guys have seen the news today, but there was a murder at Orion this afternoon."

Rachel glanced at Ivy, who shook her head. "Okay. We hadn't heard. Tragic, I guess. What does this have to do with us?" A worrying thought occurred to her. "Was the victim someone we know?"

"Elizabeth Thornton? You tell me."

"Name doesn't ring a bell."

"Didn't think so. That's not why I called anyway. I just wanted to give you a heads up. According to eyewitness reports, the suspect resembles someone you do know. Nick Sparagmos."

Rachel frowned. "Come on, Glenn. Nick is a thief, a creep, a manipulative bastard, but I don't peg him as a murderer."

"I did say resembles, didn't I? They're not saying for sure it was him, he's just a person of interest."

Ivy stepped forward and cleared her throat. "Glenn, it's Ivy."

"Hey, babe. How you doing?"

"I'm fine. Thanks."

"The witch treating you all right?"

Ivy smiled. Glenn had taken their breakup better than some men would have, because he recognized how much Rachel meant to her even when the two of them were dating. "I could tell you some stories."

"Please don't. I think my manhood's still recovering from the last time."

"Just out of curiousity, why is the FIB investigating this murder? Was there an Inderlander involved?"

"We're not. I just saw the report on the wire and figured you guys should to know, in case Sparagmos shows up on your doorstep. That's assuming he had anything to do with this."

Rachel nodded. "Okay. Thanks for the tip, Glenn."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do, you two."

Jenks jumped up and down on the button to sever the connection. "Crap on toast, you sure know how to pick 'em, Rache."

"He's right, you know." Ivy wrapped her arms around Rachel. "Your taste in men sucks."

Rachel frowned. "What about Kisten?"

"There's an exception to every rule, dear heart."

Jenks flew to Rachel and did his Peter Pan pose in mid-air. "You're not going to try and find crap for brains, are you?"

"Whatever Nick Sparagmos has or hasn't done is no longer any of my concern," Rachel replied. "He made his own bed and he can damn sure lie in it. I've got my own problems to deal with." She turned to her lover. "I saw Newt while I was in the ever after." Ivy's eyes widened but the witch shook her head. "It's okay. She's still busy looking for Al. Meanwhile, she told me something interesting when I asked her about the origin of vampires. She said it had something to do with the elves. I think she forgot we were talking and wandered off in mid-conversation, but they apparently cursed someone besides the demons, and whatever happened afterwards was so bad it brought the elves and demons together, at least temporarily. Does that mean anything to you?"

Ivy shook her head. "I've never heard a story like that."

"Did Piscary or Cormel or your Mom ever mention where you guys come from?"

"No one seems to know for sure," Ivy replied. "The most popular theory is the virus originated in the ever after and migrated along with one of the early Inderlanders, where it found more suitable hosts, but I've also heard speculation it existed here on earth already and was somehow mutated by the arrival of the Inderlanders. Your guess is as good as mine."

Jenks shrugged. "Why does it matter anyway? You want to save Ivy's soul, not write a vamp history book."

"It matters, insect, if there was ever a time in their history when vampires actually held on to their souls after they died. The result of a curse or not, if it happened before it may be possible to make it happen again."

Ivy liked being a vampire; she just didn't like the bloodlust, the way she was ruled by her instincts, or the fact she was going to lose her soul after she died unless Rachel could figure out a way to stop it. Now she had been confronted by the possibility her whole existence was a result of something done by the elves thousands of years ago. She snarled. "Kalamack."

"What?" Rachel turned. "What about Trent?"

Ivy rolled her eyes. "I hate him for everything he's put you through, but if the demons are a dead end, and it sounds like they are if Newt is your only source, like it or not, Trent would be your best option for elf history."

Rachel sighed. "I suppose."


	6. Chapter 6

NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: 

TITLE: All About Us

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, names, places, etc. They all belong to Kim Harrison, and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for creating them.

FANDOM: The Hollows

PAIRING: Rachel/Ivy

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Al is in hiding, while Rachel finally gets the answer to one of her questions.

SPOILER: Sequel to _You Don't Always Get What You Want_ and _Sometimes You Get What You Need. _It is set an undetermined amount of time after_Black Magic Sanction_. You need to read at least _Sometimes_ first, because I'm not going to give too many explanations, so if you haven't read the story before this you probably aren't going to understand everything that's happening here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of clarification, _My Immortal_ and its sequel, _Through Her Eyes_, are a separate timeline from my other four Hollows stories, which-if you wanted to read them all-belong in the following order: _You Don't Always Get What You Want_, _Love and Vampires_, _Disturbing_, and _Sometimes You Get What You Need_.

Algaliarept finally had a chance to relax.

Newt had been chasing him all over the ever after for days. She was angrier than he had seen her in millennia, and every time he took a new form to hide, she saw right through it. Finally, one of many people on earth who owed him favors called with good news, a human woman had purchased one of the special scrolls he had prepared. It simultaneously summoned him and gave him permission to possess the caster for one week, after which he would have to return to his own body or find someone else to inhabit.

Once across the lines, Al figured he would be safe from Newt, for a while at least. He would be almost impossible to detect inside a human body, as long as he didn't use too much of his magic. The human woman's consciousness sobbed in the back of his stolen mind, not quite aware of what was going on, and while he enjoyed her curves, he was disappointed she was not a witch and had no real power. On the other hand, no one would look for him in someone like this, and he hoped that if he could conceal himself long enough, Newt would forget about being angry at him and he could eventually return home.

Al's first task, after getting his new borrowed body naked and testing its physical capabilities, was to seek out one of the other people who had his mark. The golden disk he had given to Nick was another artifact he had prepared for this sort of eventuality, using human arrogance and an invoked but inactive curse to allow him to possess whoever recited the spell. With it in his possession, he went to check on Rachel, to see if she and Newt were conspiring against him, as he suspected. The damned pixie had interfered, forcing the demon to exert more of his magic than he was comfortable with, and that had convinced him to get a new body. Nick Sparagmos seemed the obvious choice, he had a decent amount of power for a human, and his knowledge of Rachel and her friends would likely allow him to get closer to his traitorous itchy witch than the random woman he had possessed in the first place.

Once safely inside Nick, Al's thoughts turned again to Newt. He had assumed that she only wanted Rachel for breeding, but she was not using the witch like a tool, she was coddling her and being unusually protective. The last time he had seen that had been millennia ago, when her child was born. That reminded him of the conversation he had overheard while using the effigy. Rachel pretended to be Lilianikagan in order to distract Newt, and keep her from harming Ceri or her offspring. Disturbed as he was by the idea of new elf births, Al was more concerned with why such a ruse had worked. Even high on yew, as she had been after he dosed her, Newt should have remembered her daughter was long dead. '_Unless…the elf curse corrupted Lilianikagan's generation by turning their wombs against them, twisting them into giving birth to witches instead of demons, and many did not survive the alterations. Lilianikagan did have a child, as I recall, is it possible that early witch headed Rachel's line? It would explain Newt's attitude toward her._'

Al mulled this over as he decided to go shopping. Except for the duster, Nick Sparagmos had terrible fashion sense.


	7. Chapter 7

NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: 

TITLE: All About Us

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, names, places, etc. They all belong to Kim Harrison, and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for creating them.

FANDOM: The Hollows

PAIRING: Rachel/Ivy

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Al is in hiding, while Rachel finally gets the answer to one of her questions.

SPOILER: Sequel to _You Don't Always Get What You Want_ and _Sometimes You Get What You Need. _It is set an undetermined amount of time after_Black Magic Sanction_. You need to read at least _Sometimes_ first, because I'm not going to give too many explanations, so if you haven't read the story before this you probably aren't going to understand everything that's happening here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of clarification, _My Immortal_ and its sequel, _Through Her Eyes_, are a separate timeline from my other four Hollows stories, which-if you wanted to read them all-belong in the following order: _You Don't Always Get What You Want_, _Love and Vampires_, _Disturbing_, and _Sometimes You Get What You Need_.

"_Rachel! Watch out!"_

_Moving almost faster than the eye could follow, Ivy stepped in front of the witch as the black mass of energy was released from Nick's hand and struck her in the stomach. She gasped. It violently tore its way through her body, gushing out blood and the sizzling remnants of her internal organs, along with fragments of her spine, as it erupted out of her back._

"_Ivy!" Still moving at full speed, the curse never got to Rachel. Tears streaming down her face the witch threw her head back and screamed, waves of pure ley line energy rocketing off in every direction. The curse splattered harmlessly against it. "No!" She lunged forward and caught Ivy's body as her knees began to buckle. "Baby? No, please no. Ivy!"_

_Nick loomed over them, sneering. "You stupid bitch!" He held out his hand and a ball of blue flame took shape. "I always told you she was going to be the death of you."_

_Cradling Ivy in her arms, Rachel rocked softly and sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."_

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Rachel thrashed, white tank top soaked through with sweat and clinging to the curves of her upper body. One leg twitched, as if a part of her was trying to run away, and inevitably, she kicked Ivy.

The vampire woke suddenly and sat up, breath catching in her throat. Her eyes, momentarily black, scanned the shadows of the room, but when she found they were alone she relaxed. Rachel cried out and kicked her again, and she looked down to find the redhead in the throes of some terrible nightmare. Her face fell. "I'm sorry." She stroked a lock of hair from her lover's sweaty face and did her best to ignore the fear and sorrow flooding from the witch. "You need your sleep, but I can't stand to see you like this." She put her hand on Rachel's shoulder and shook her gently. "Rachel? Wake up, dear heart." She shook her a little more forcefully, and raised her voice. "Rachel!" An invisible blast of force sent Ivy tumbling head over heels out of the bed, taking the sheets with her.

Rachel sat up ramrod straight, gasping, green eyes unfocused. Confused, she looked around, and saw a pair of black-nailed feet sticking over one side of the bed. She blinked. "Ivy?" She heard a muffled curse. "What's going on?"

"You were having a nightmare and I tried to wake you up." Ivy clambered back up onto the bed. "I won't make that mistake again." She shook her head. "Damn. You hit like a truck. Remind me not to piss you off."

"Oh God." Rachel slid her hands down Ivy's arms, to clasp her hands. "Oh baby. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"I know. It's all right." Ivy squeezed Rachel's hand back. "What were you dreaming about that was so terrible?"

Rachel hesitated. "You. Dying." She sighed. "The twisted thing is, that doesn't scare me. If you get shot or stabbed…or blasted, I know you're going to be back on your feet in a couple of days. I can deal with you being undead. Sleeping next to someone who has no pulse and is room temperature might take some getting used to, but you not having your soul, your loving me but not knowing why, the disconnect between who you were and who you'd be now, that's what I'm afraid of."

"Welcome to my world." Ivy shrugged and grinned. "If you can't find a way Rachel, or if it turns out there isn't one, then I'm just going to have to make sure I don't ever die. At least…" The all too brief moment of levity passed and her face fell. "…not until after you do." She shook her head. "I can't stand the thought of living without you, dear heart."

"I love you too." Rachel stroked Ivy's cheek, smiling when her vampire leaned into it. "I'm too wound up to go back to sleep. You want to help each other relax? Or should we just get up and have an early breakfast?"

Ivy took a deep breath. "Speaking of…I know we've both been kind of distracted lately, but it's been almost a week and…"

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't realize." Rachel swept her hair back, turning her head to bare her neck and the two fang scars where Ivy periodically fed on her. "You should have said something. Go ahead."

Ivy grabbed Rachel's shoulders, her eyes a deep, swirling black. "God, I love the scent of redwood." She nuzzled Rachel's scars and the witch shuddered. "You give this to me?" They had done this enough she no longer needed to ask but it was so ingrained in vampires that even the undead tended to request permission unless their hunger got the best of them.

"Yes," Rachel whispered breathlessly. She closed her eyes as Ivy's teeth gently grazed her skin, and then let out a soft, throaty moan as they slid in almost painlessly. "Oh God." She clutched at her vampire's arm and shoulder, not to stop her or push her away but to hold her closer and encourage her to continue. "I love this. I love you, Ivy." Unable to respond, in words at least, Ivy wrapped her arms around Rachel and sank her teeth in fully. "Oh, yes! Ivy!" It was the second most exciting and erotic thing they could do together, and in fact, the witch had always thought nothing else could compare until the first time they slept together. "Ivy!"

Ivy's body burned with the heat and scent of her lover's blood. Her skin was on fire and that deep, dark, primal part of her wanted nothing more than to tear in deeper and gorge, taking every last drop of the sweet, hot, redwood tinted ambrosia. Inwardly, she fought against those instincts. Once upon a time a mere taste of the witch, coupled with her unrequited desires for more, overwhelmed her senses and one or both of them ended up getting hurt. It had almost destroyed their relationship. Now that the two of them were intimate, the lust for blood didn't have to compete with the sexual lust, and she could rein in the beast. It roared and struggled in the back of her mind like always, but Rachel had helped her to realize it didn't have to control her. At least not while she was alive.

Rachel sighed as a pleasurable numbness washed over her body. She was beginning to feel light-headed, and probably would have fallen over if Ivy weren't there to hold her. Not so long ago she might have given in to the euphoria, allowing Ivy to take all she wanted and forgetting until it was almost too late that her life was quite literally in the vampire's hands. But Art's nearly binding her had changed her perspective, and while she was no longer afraid of being bitten, her love and trust for Ivy overrode everything else, she knew when to say enough was enough. Sighing, she stroked Ivy's arms. "Love, it's time to stop."

A few moments later, Ivy reluctantly pulled away. After caressing Rachel's wounds with her tongue to stifle the bleeding, she licked her own lips clean and took a deep breath. "My God witch, you are delicious."

"You say the sweetest things." Rachel cupped Ivy's face and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Rachel started to swoon but Ivy caught her. "Whoa. Okay, I think it's my turn to eat something now."

"Let's go." Ivy scooped the witch up into her arms. "I've got cookies in the kitchen."


	8. Chapter 8

NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: 

TITLE: All About Us

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, names, places, etc. They all belong to Kim Harrison, and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for creating them.

FANDOM: The Hollows

PAIRING: Rachel/Ivy

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Al is in hiding, while Rachel finally gets the answer to one of her questions.

SPOILER: Sequel to _You Don't Always Get What You Want_ and _Sometimes You Get What You Need. _It is set an undetermined amount of time after_Black Magic Sanction_. You need to read at least _Sometimes_ first, because I'm not going to give too many explanations, so if you haven't read the story before this you probably aren't going to understand everything that's happening here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of clarification, _My Immortal_ and its sequel, _Through Her Eyes_, are a separate timeline from my other four Hollows stories, which-if you wanted to read them all-belong in the following order: _You Don't Always Get What You Want_, _Love and Vampires_, _Disturbing_, and _Sometimes You Get What You Need_.

Rachel clung to Ivy's midsection as the motorcycle roared down the highway.

The two of them were on their way to the exclusive Red Dawn Mall, because in the middle of breakfast it suddenly occurred to the vampire she needed a new outfit for a court appearance the day after tomorrow.

"Remember that run I did for Janice? The Were I apprehended decided to sue her and I both."

"You did break his arm." Rachel had said. "Tell you what. I'll come with you. I like to watch you try on clothes."

"No, you just like to leer at me in between outfits."

They would have taken Rachel's car, but she had unsuccessfully been trying to convince the DMV to reinstate her license, and recently was pulled over for speeding, which led to it being impounded. Again. Ivy offered to pay the fine, but until things were cleared up, Rachel either had to ride with Ivy or take the bus, which she refused to do if she could help it.

Jenks stayed back at the church. While he still accompanied Rachel or Ivy when they needed backup, ever since Matalina's death he had been devoting himself more and more to his family. Once the youngest kids were older, more able to take care of themselves, he assured them things would get back to normal. "Until then, they're what matters."

"You know, I could use a new pair of boots," Rachel said as she was taking off her helmet. "Why don't we go to the Leather Boutique before Charlotte's Web?" It was one of the more high-end stores in this part of Cincinnati, there pretty much wasn't a single thing there she could afford, but Ivy liked the clothes and the way they catered to Inderlanders.

Ivy shrugged. "Fine by me." She knew Rachel didn't find shopping all that interesting, and only came along so they could spend the day together. "But get something that shows off your legs. You have great legs."

In the end, Rachel came away with two pairs of leather boots. One very strong and sensible, perfect for meeting clients or chasing down targets during a run, the other intended mainly for Ivy. The vampire had, at Rachel's prompting, bought a pair of what both agreed was possibly the tightest leather pants known to human or Inderlander.

Red Dawn did not discriminate. All of the stores were open to everyone, but several primarily catered to specific groups; living vampires tended to dress somewhat more provacatively, while Weres preferred looser fitting clothing that could be removed quickly for a completely different reason. Witches liked pockets, hidden and otherwise, to store charms and other magic implements. Humans were the only ones who mixed and matched, emulating various Inderlanders styles to create their own.

As Rachel and Ivy approached Charlotte's Web, something caught the witch's attention. She turned to see a familiar figure walking out of Panache, the hair salon. She caught Ivy's arm. "It's Nick. What's he doing here?"

Ivy's eyes narrowed. She knew the cheapest cut in Panache cost over two hundred dollars, he was wearing a suit that must have run at least a grand, four hundred dollar shoes, and a two hundred dollar pair of sunglasses. His leather duster, on the other hand, looked like it had come from a thrift store. "Living way beyond his means."

Nick took a few steps out of the salon and stopped. He slowly turned his head. When he locked eyes with Rachel, she flashed him a bunny ears "kiss". Face contorting in a snarl he abruptly took off running.

"That's just rude," said Rachel. "Are we obligated to chase him now?"

Ivy nodded. "If it makes you feel any better, we can beat him soundly before turning him over to Glenn."

"Sounds like a plan."

They followed Nick through the crowd until he veered down a side corridor. When they got to it themselves there was no sign of him but the emergency exit door was wide open. Once outside they discovered, to their amusement, the human's escape attempt had been thwarted by the fact this particular door emptied onto a fenced in lot. He was trapped.

"Come on, Nick." Rachel crossed her arms. "Did you really think you could get away from us?"

Nick spun on his heel and whipped off his glasses. "What do you want, witch? I haven't done anything to you."

"Lately." Rachel glanced at Ivy, whose eyes were rimmed with black. '_Uh oh._' Being careful not to surprise her, she put an arm around the vampire's waist to try and calm her. "Let's talk about you, Nick. Have you graduated from theft to murder?"

"Why do you ask?"

"The FIB called, to tell us someone matching your description killed a girl at Orion."

Nick smirked. "What if I did? What do you care?"

"I don't, actually, but it turns out the law frowns on that sort of thing. It would be in your best interest to turn yourself in, especially if you didn't have anything to do with it." Rachel bit her lip. "Tell me the truth. Did you?"

"Yes and no."

Rachel frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Be careful," Ivy said softly. "Something's not right here. His scent is off."

Rachel, of course, could not smell anything but Nick's cologne, which he had apparently bathed in. She trusted Ivy's senses though, and closed her eyes momentarily, in order to utilize her second sight. When she opened them again, she was shocked to see that Nick's aura was almost totally black, with only occasional streaks of gold visible. Exactly how Jenks had described the aura of the woman watching the house as well as how Lee's had looked when he was possessed. Her face fell. "Oh hell."

"What is it?" Ivy was inwardly worried, because could smell Rachel's disgust and fear.

Rachel took a deep breath and disengaged her second sight. "It's Al."

"How observant of you, Rachel Mariana Morgan." Al rested his hands on his borrowed hips. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten everything I taught you. Always look beneath the surface. Never assume anything."

Ivy's eyes flashed black. Most of Rachel's trouble with demons had come when she wasn't around, a fact she had always regretted, and when she finally got to fight one, it was Newt, and that didn't end well. She didn't know if she could actually beat Al or not but she hated him for everything he had done to Rachel so it was worth the risk. "Bastard!"

Rachel paled. '_No!_' She grabbed at the vampire, who twisted out of her grip. "Ivy, you can't!"

"I have to!" Ivy charged at Al in a blur of speed. Had he been in his normal form she knew he could easily have stopped her but Nick's body was a different story. She intended to knock him out with one punch.

Al stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding her fist. "Look at you, Tamwood. Fighting for your woman." He punched her in the face, barely able to hide his surprise when it hurt his hand. "Guess love makes vampires stupid too."

Ivy sneered. "If that's the best you can do, I don't have anything to worry about." She wrapped her hands around Nick's throat and began to squeeze. Al grabbed at her hands but was unable to pry her fingers away.

Rachel shook her head. "No. Ivy!" Demons had none of their strength and only a fraction of their magic when in another body. Al had not been able to stand up to Piscary until he was out of Lee. "Stop! This isn't accomplishing anything." As she got closer she saw Nick's face turning red, and his eyes were bulging. "Ivy! You're only killing Nick, not Al!"

"I know!" Ivy continued squeezing until Al stopped struggling, his head lolled back, and his arms fell limply to his sides. She shook him once more then let go suddenly and took a step back. "Come on out, demon."

Rachel blinked. "Wait, you did that on purpose? Killing Nick to get to Al?"

"Give me a little credit. He's not dead." Nick's body began to shudder as a black mass erupted from every available orifice. "Not quite. Call it a calculated risk." Unconscious, but alive, his eyelids fluttered and he groaned. "See?"

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Al, standing over Nick and back in his normal, proper English gentleman appearance, shook his head. "Damn it to the darkness, unless you two are planning to put on a show for me, could we get on with this? I have places to be."

"I'll bet. You have to find some other poor sap to hide in."

Al's red, goat-slitted eyes narrowed. "Oh, that mouth. Maybe I should fill it with something, to shut you up!" He laughed as Rachel's cheeks reddened. "Touched a nerve, did I?" Fists clenched, Ivy took a step forward. "Oh my, look at the overprotective vampire. Come on then, Ivy Alisha Tamwood. Let us see if you can defend this witch's so-called honor."

'_Damn it, I can't let her!_' Rachel envisioned a circle around Al. "Rhombus!" The shimmering bubble of ever after swiftly enveloped the demon and, because of his close proximity, Nick as well. Ivy turned to her, wide-eyed. "I'm sorry, love. You're strong and you're tough, but I'm afraid even you can't handle a demon. Even Cormel and Piscary had a hard time, remember?" Ivy nodded. She clearly didn't like it but they both knew Rachel was right. She looked to Al. "As for you…"

"Let me guess." Al crossed his arms. "You intend to banish me?" He shrugged. "Feel free. I'll get out again and by the time you know to look for me again, I could be in someone else's body halfway around the world."

Rachel nodded. "I'm not the one you should be worrying about." Al glanced at Ivy. "Not her either."

"Then who?" Al blinked. "You wouldn't dare."

"You don't know me as well as you think." Rachel raised her head and her voice. "NEWT!"

For several long, tense moments, it appeared like nothing was going to happen and Al visibly started to relax. Then all of reality turned in on itself, and with a final glance at one another Rachel and Ivy passed out.


	9. Chapter 9

NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: 

TITLE: All About Us

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, names, places, etc. They all belong to Kim Harrison, and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for creating them.

FANDOM: The Hollows

PAIRING: Rachel/Ivy

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Al is in hiding, while Rachel finally gets the answer to one of her questions.

SPOILER: Sequel to _You Don't Always Get What You Want_ and _Sometimes You Get What You Need. _It is set an undetermined amount of time after_Black Magic Sanction_. You need to read at least _Sometimes_ first, because I'm not going to give too many explanations, so if you haven't read the story before this you probably aren't going to understand everything that's happening here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of clarification, _My Immortal_ and its sequel, _Through Her Eyes_, are a separate timeline from my other four Hollows stories, which-if you wanted to read them all-belong in the following order: _You Don't Always Get What You Want_, _Love and Vampires_, _Disturbing_, and _Sometimes You Get What You Need_.

Ivy jerked awake, vampire hearing alerting her to a conversation in progress.

"…me, Algaliarept."

"It was never personal, Newt. You know that."

Ivy snarled. '_Demons._' She felt a cold, soft stone-like substance beneath her and got a big lungful of burnt amber as she rolled over, relieved to see Rachel lying besides her, chest slowly rising and falling. "Dear heart?"

The redhead's eyelids fluttered open. "Ivy?"

"I'm right here."

Rachel groaned as she sat up. "My head…what happened?"

"Not sure."

"Where are we?" Rachel looked around. It was dark and humid. "Oh great. The ever after."

Ivy nodded. "I'd talk to your travel agent." She nodded, and Rachel followed her gaze to Newt, standing face to face with Al, who was no longer trapped in a circle. There was no sign of Nick. "Why would she bring us here?"

"Let's ask her." With help from Ivy, Rachel-still dizzy-got to her feet and stumbled toward the demons. "Hey!" Newt and Al both turned to glare at her. "What the hell is going on?"

"Stay out of this Rachel," Al hissed. "It doesn't concern you."

"Like hell it doesn't! You two brought me into this! Fighting over me, treating me like your own personal chew toy! I'm fucking sick of it! One of you is going to tell me what the hell is going on here or so help me…"

Newt cocked her head. "It amuses me, Rachel Mariana Morgan, that you believe you have any say in this. Related though we may be, you are only a witch, and your connection to the ever after was not by my choice."

"Yes it was! You brought me here! I promised you I would call you if I found Al and I did. I thought you'd come and get him. You never said anything about whisking us all away. What the hell was that?"

"That was unintentional. I was distracted, and cast a wider net than I should have. I can send you and your vampire home." Newt started to raise her hand, frowning when Rachel shook her head. "Why not?"

"Where's Nick? I accidentally trapped him when I circled Al. What did you do to him?"

"Nicholas Gregory Sparagmos ran away." Newt replied. "Moments after he regained consciousness."

"Away?" Rachel's eyes widened. "You mean topside? You let him go out there?"

Newt shrugged. "I saw no reason to stop him. Nicholas Gregory Sparagmos is not my concern."

"It's a pity," said Al. "I could have made a fortune off him."

Rachel was well aware dark, terrible creatures prowled the wild parts of the ever after, beasts even the demons avoided by building underground. Out there by himself, Nick would not have lasted five minutes. '_Damn it!_' Even though a part of her still hated Nick for all the cruel, heartless things he had done to her, she never wanted him dead.

Ivy put one arm around Rachel and pointed at Al with the other. "Why did you let him out?"

"When the four of you arrived, Rachel Mariana Morgan was unconscious and her circle had already collapsed. It was all I could to keep Algaliarept here." Newt stared on Ivy. "Vampire?" She shook her head. "You cannot be here. Do you know why we stopped using your kind as familiars so long ago? It brought things too close to the old ways."

Rachel blinked. '_Now's my chance!_' She had learned from experience that Newt's memories seemed to be triggered by certain situations or words, usually she just blurted out random bits of information, and unless she was properly motivated, they would fade as quickly as they had come. "Newt? Newt, look at me!" The demon did so. "You told me once before, the elves cursed someone besides demons. Remember? It led to the vampires, or at least that's what you hinted it. Who was it? Who else did they curse?"

"Elves? Curse?" Newt's eyes widened. "Vampires? I was there. I saw…" She shook her head. "What did I see?"

Al was suddenly at Rachel's side. "What in the hell are you doing?"

"Trying to get some information, teach. Now shut up and get out of my way."

"No, you can't." Al lowered his voice. "Listen to me, Rachel. You cannot help her remember. Not this. That particular moment in time is a linchpin. If she remembers that she could remember it all, and then everything would burn."

Rachel frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't understand. Newt has been around longer than any of us. She has seen things you can't imagine. Some of them Newt herself knew she had to forget, and this is one of them. None of us can afford to have her remember where the vampires came from." Al grabbed the witch's shoulders and Ivy snarled. "I'll tell you anything you want to know. Just please, stop it!"

'_He's scared_,' Rachel said to herself. '_And not just of Newt._' She took a deep breath. "You better not be lying to me, Al, or so help me, Newt isn't going to be the only one with a reputation for killing demons." It was something of an empty threat, but he nodded, and more than anything else that convinced her he was telling the truth. "Newt? Never mind. It's not important."

Newt blinked. "Not important?"

"Of course not. They're just elves. Forget about them, okay? I got Al for you remember? That's what matters."

"Al? You mean Algaliarept? Yes! He betrayed me." Newt darted across the room and grabbed Al, lifting him off his feet. Rachel and Ivy backed away. "I should kill you Algaliarept…" She sighed. "…but there are so few of us left. I would never let you inside me, but you are among those who can further our line, and like it or not that makes you necessary." She released him. "Hear me, Algaliarept! These precious rooms of yours will be your new prison. You may have free reign to move about within, but you are not permitted to go outside and I will make certain no one else can summon you. Perhaps, eventually, I will forgive you."

Al breathed a sigh of relief as Newt vanished into the darkness. "That was close."

Ivy snarled. "I still owe you this!" She punched Al so hard it busted his lip, though a sheen of ever after passed over his face, healing him even before he finished staggering back. "Bastard!"

"I could snap your neck like a twig without a second thought, Tamwood." Al snorted as he glanced at Rachel, who was clearly trying to appear intimidating as she crossed her arms and sneered at him. "And while I do not fear your threats, witch, you are allied with one who could cause me no end of grief. So I will let you have that one for free."

"No, what you will let us have is what you promised me," said Rachel. "Tell what you know about the elves, Al. Who else besides the demons did they curse? And what does it have to do with the vampires?"

Al sighed. "You'd best both have a seat. This may take a while."


	10. Chapter 10

NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: 

TITLE: All About Us

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, names, places, etc. They all belong to Kim Harrison, and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for creating them.

FANDOM: The Hollows

PAIRING: Rachel/Ivy

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Al is in hiding, while Rachel finally gets the answer to one of her questions.

SPOILER: Sequel to _You Don't Always Get What You Want_ and _Sometimes You Get What You Need. _It is set an undetermined amount of time after_Black Magic Sanction_. You need to read at least _Sometimes_ first, because I'm not going to give too many explanations, so if you haven't read the story before this you probably aren't going to understand everything that's happening here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of clarification, _My Immortal_ and its sequel, _Through Her Eyes_, are a separate timeline from my other four Hollows stories, which-if you wanted to read them all-belong in the following order: _You Don't Always Get What You Want_, _Love and Vampires_, _Disturbing_, and _Sometimes You Get What You Need_.

Al insisted on making everyone tea before he did anything else.

Ivy continually snickered and mumbled something under her breath he could not understand, so he 'accidentally' spilled the entire tray into her lap. Once Rachel eventually calmed her down, he began his story.

"The demons and the elves have been at odds with one another since both races have existed. I'm not certain how or why it started, it was before my time. Newt might know, but good luck asking her." Al frowned. "Our two races have always been evenly matched. We were stronger, more proficient at magic, while the elves had sheer numbers and more creativity."

"Get on with it," said Rachel. "Who else did they curse?"

"Tell me, Tamwood. Is she this impatient in bed?" Ivy snarled. Al blew her a kiss, and laughed when Rachel grabbed her arm to keep the vampire from coming at him again. "Down girl. I'll give you a clue, itchy witch. You may or may not be aware of it, but it wasn't just us and the elves back then. There were three prime Inderlander species at the time."

Ivy glanced at Rachel, who leaned forward in her seat. "You're talking about the banshees?"

"And you didn't even need cue cards." Al rested his hands in his lap. "The banshees could easily have rivaled us, or the elves, but they refused to take sides. Bribes and force didn't work. They wanted no part in our war. That was when the elves decided if they couldn't get the banshees on their side, they could at least make sure they never helped us."

"So they cursed them?" Rachel asked. "What does that have to do with the vampires?"

"I'm getting to that. Honestly. You should take one of those human relaxants. I hear their pharmaceuticals can do wonders." Al paused, more for dramatic effect than anything else. "The curse they twisted was supposed to kill the banshees completely, to wipe them all out, but it didn't work the way they intended. It didn't exterminate the species. Just the males."

Ivy's eyes widened. "You're saying there used to be male banshees?"

"I've never heard or read anything like that," said Rachel. "And I've met banshees."

"Understand. This was all before recorded Inderlander history. Yes, there were male banshees. They were powerful, virile creatures, and the curse just made them wither up and die." Ever after washed over Al, and he transformed into a seven foot tall, ebony skinned entity with long black hair and smoldering red eyes, as well as a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. "Unfortunately for all concerned, the curse had an unexpected side effect. It killed the banshee males but they didn't stay dead. They rose again, hungry for blood as well as auras. Worse, they still had their souls, and it gave them a measure of control you and yours have never dreamed of, Tamwood."

"They were the first vampires?"

Al nodded. "More or less. They shared many of the same traits, though they had powers far beyond the undead you know. They went after the elves, as you might expect, but they also hunted us, and their own people. We tried to fight them but they were too strong, and every time we killed one of them, they just rose again. Finally, Minias…or was it Dali? I can't remember. Someone suggested we approach the elves and offer a temporary alliance. No one liked the idea, on either side, but we also couldn't come up with anything better. Together we managed to eradicate the Paragon, as Newt named them, but the remaining banshee females decided they blamed all of us and fled, they were the first race to migrate to the mortal world you know. Problem is, they were still carrying the curse. It didn't affect them, of course, but they passed it on to the humans and it adapted, becoming more of a virus and…"

"…and creating the first vampires on Earth," Rachel concluded. "Son of a bitch!"

Al changed back to normal. "The alliance broke down pretty quickly after that, as you can imagine. Both sides took credit for the victory. We used one of the failed plans to stop the Paragon and came up with the ever after, though you know how that trap turned out. The elves were decidedly more successful with their curse, which they eventually modified and used on us."

"So, we're related to Mia?" Ivy asked. "And Walker?"

"In a decidedly distant sense," Al replied. "The banshees are the progenitors of the altered genetic line that would eventually lead to vampires, but it would not be accurate to call them cousins, or even ancestors really. Not like witches to demons, which can be traced back directly as you and Newt well know, Rachel." Her eyes widened and he nodded. "Didn't you ever wonder why the undead take a little bit of the aura when they feed? You always assumed it was to fill the hole caused by the lack of their soul. It's not…at least, not entirely. It's a remnant of the ancient time when the curse was connected to the banshees, and they fed on auras to live."

Rachel cleared her throat. "You said the banshee males kept their souls when they rose. So why did the vampires who developed on earth lose theirs? And was it always that way, or did something change?"

"The very first vampires on earth were stronger and more powerful than even the undead you know now. Over the generations, this bestial nature dwindled until they were only a pale imitation of their true selves. Did their have their souls still?" Al shrugged his shoulders. "I cannot say for certain. Truth be told, I was less interested in that lowly little realm at the time. Until humanity got to the point where they began making deals with us, let's just say I had other things on my mind."

Ivy leaned into Rachel. "Can we go home now?"

"Okay." Rachel took Ivy's hand. "Enjoy solitary confinement, Al." She stepped them into the line and vanished.

Al smirked. "Perfect."


	11. Chapter 11

NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: 

TITLE: All About Us

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, names, places, etc. They all belong to Kim Harrison, and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for creating them.

FANDOM: The Hollows

PAIRING: Rachel/Ivy

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Al is in hiding, while Rachel finally gets the answer to one of her questions.

SPOILER: Sequel to _You Don't Always Get What You Want_ and _Sometimes You Get What You Need. _It is set an undetermined amount of time after_Black Magic Sanction_. You need to read at least _Sometimes_ first, because I'm not going to give too many explanations, so if you haven't read the story before this you probably aren't going to understand everything that's happening here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of clarification, _My Immortal_ and its sequel, _Through Her Eyes_, are a separate timeline from my other four Hollows stories, which-if you wanted to read them all-belong in the following order: _You Don't Always Get What You Want_, _Love and Vampires_, _Disturbing_, and _Sometimes You Get What You Need_.

"So do you believe him?"

Rachel and Ivy had told Jenks about their talk with Al and as usual, the pixie got straight to the point.

"I mean, I know you said demons don't lie, generally, but Tinks' panties Rache, talk about an untrustworthy source!"

Rachel nodded. "Oh no, you're absolutely right, and I have no doubt he's hiding something. I just don't know if he was trying to deceive us or because there were certain details he doesn't personally know."

"Which would make him look less informed," Ivy added. "I guess even demons can be victims of the male ego."

Jenks crossed his arms. "Hey!"

"Present company excluded, of course," said Rachel. "You're all man."

Ivy nodded. "Albeit a tiny one."

"Tinks' diaphragm!" Jenks fumed as best he could while trying not to smile. "Sometimes I really hate the both of you."

Rachel shook her head, and went to get some more coffee. "Honestly, I think what you said before is true, Jenks. I'm not sure that any of this helps us. Even if Al's information is accurate, and that's a big if, finding out the vampires are distantly related to the banshees, which we all kind of figured anyway, doesn't bring me any closer to saving Ivy's soul."

"It may explain something Newt said." Ivy cleared her throat as Rachel and Jenks looked at her expectantly. "Remember, before she became your teacher, she showed up bat shit insane and moaning something about not wanting you to fix me, cause she didn't want to bring them back? I'll bet she was talking about these Paragons."

Rachel nodded. "I do remember. That was the closest I've ever seen Newt to being scared."

"You're saying these uber-vamp things are so tough they frighten the psycho bitch queen of the ever after?" Jenks shook his head. "Remind me not to invite any of them to dinner."

"I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry," said Ivy. "The elves and demons joined forces to get rid of them. A union like that, I doubt anything could have survived."

Rachel groaned. "I really wish you hadn't said that."

"Why?"

"This is the part of the horror movie where one of the characters says 'I guess it was just the wind', right before the slasher steps out of the shadows and guts them. With our luck, a Paragon's gonna come crashing through our door."

All three turned and looked around.

Nothing happened but, secretly, none of them felt particularly relieved.

Somewhere in the ever after Newt slept.

Eyelids fluttering, she thrashed from side to side. A stray thought passed through her mind.

'_Paragon._'

Nearby, the ground cracked. A black, leathery hand erupted upward.

THE END

For now


End file.
